Variable-size-sheet cutting and feeding mechanism.



No. s7B,s41. PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

H. M. BARBER. VARIABLE SIZE SHEET CUTTING AND FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED PER. 23, 1906.

8 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 873,341. PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

H. M: BARBER. VARIABLE SIZE SHEET CUTTING AND FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 23, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

PATENTED DEC. 10, 1907.

I H. M. BARBER. VARIABLE SIZE SHEET CUTTING AND FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLIOA'TION FILED FEB. 23, 1906.

' 3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE.

HOWARD M. BARBER, OF STONINGTON,CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO 0. B. COTTRELL & SONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N Y., A CORPORATION. OF NEW JERSEY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Dec. 10,1907

Application filed February 23. 1306- S'erial No. 302.395.

To all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that I, HOWARD M. -BARBER,

a citizen of the United States, and resident of Stonington, in the county of New London and State of Connecticut, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Variable- Size-Sheet Cutting and Feeding Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a variable size cuttingand feeding mechanism which is used for cutting variable size sheets from a web and feeding the same in perfect register to a printing press.

This invention is particularly well adapted for use in connection with the erfecting class of printing presses but may e used in any machine in which variable size sheets cut from a web are to be fed. This mechanism may also be arranged to cut variable size sheets from a web and deliver them to any predetermined point.

- A practical embodiment of my invention is represented in which V Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of so much of a printing press as will give a clear understandlng of'my improved variable size sheet cutting and feeding mechanism; Fig. 2 is a detail side view of the vertically adjustable carriage; Fig. 3 is a detail section showing the adjustable variable speed driving connection for the cutter; Fig.4 is ahorizontal sectiontaken in the plane of the line A-A of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the ar rows Fig. 5 is a'vertical section taken from front to rear through the mechanism; Fig. 6 is a detail View of the geared connection be tween the main drive and the feed rolls; Fig.

. 7 is a similar viewshowing a different relation' of gears for drivingthe feed rolls at a greater speed, and Fig. 8 is a detail section taken just inside the frame showing the opcrating mechanism for receiving the sheets from the cutters and delivering them to the printing mechanism.

. The side frames of the machine are de noted by. 10, in which frames a carriage 11 may be adjusted vertically. In the resent instance this vertical adjustment of t e carriage is accom lished by providing the carriage with a p urality of bolts 12 fitted to slide in vertical elongated slots 13 in theside frames 10 and providing mechanism for raising and lowering the carriage as follows. A

in the accompanying drawings cross shaft 14 is mounted in suitable bearings in the side frames 10 of the machine, which shaft is provided with a squared portion 15 for the attachment of a crank for turning'the same. This shaft 14'has worm and gear con nections. 16, 17, with two vertical adjusting screws 1 8 which have screw-threaded engage- -ments with nuts 19 fixed to the side frames of the carriage 1 1. After the carriage has been raised or lowered to the desired position by turning the shaft 14, the carriage may be clamped in such position by tightening the bolts 12. v

A vertical shaft :20 acts as a primary driver and is rotatably supported in a bearing 21 carried by one of the side frames of the carriage 11, which vertical shaft has a sliding interlocked connection with a bevel gear 22 Y which is at all times in mesh with a bevel gear 23 fixed to the shaft 24 ofthe first impressionv cylinder 25 mounted in the side frames 10 of the machine. The shaft 24 has a variable speed geared connection by means of lobed spur gears 26, 27, with the shaft 28 of the sheet feeding cylinder 29 also mounted in the side frames 10 of the machine. 7

The vertical shaft 20 has fixed thereto a bevel gear 30 Which meshes with a bevel gear '31 fixed to a cross shaft 32 mounted in the sideframes of the vertically adjustable car-. riage. 1-1. A pair of rotary smooth-edged cutters 33, 34, aresuitably mounted in the side frames of the vertically adjustable carblock 39 is located. This block 33 receives the spherical head of a'pin 40 fixed eccentrically ona spur gear 41 mounted on a stud axle 42 in the swinging arm 43, which arm is pivoted concentricall to the cross shaft 32 so that the gear 41 Is at all times in mesh with its driving gear 44 fixed to the said cross shaft 32, irrespective of the position of the arm 43. This arm 43 may be raised andv lowered, thus raising'and lowering the stud shaft 42 and sliding the block 39 radially in. A

the slotted arm 38. The means which I have shown for clamping the arm 43 1n 1ts different positions comprises bolts .45 carried by one of the side frames of the vertically adjustablecarriage 11 and extending through an elongtaed slot 46 in the arm 43, which slot is concentric to the shaft 32 on which the arm swings. This arm 43 may also be rovided with a bottom extension 47 provided with a concentric slot 48 through which a locking bolt 49 carried by one of the side frames of the vertically adjust-able carriage shaft 32 by a change gear mechanism as follows. vA spur gear 57 is mounted on a stud shaft 58 which may be adjusted along an elongated slot-59 concentric with the axis of the feed roll 51 with the gear 57 at all times in mesh with the gear 54.- Spur gears of varying sizes may be fixed to the cross shaft 32. In Fig. 6, for instance, a small spur gear 60 is shown for driving the web feed rolls at one speed, the gear 57 being adjusted into position to connect the gear 60 with the gear 54. In the form shown in Fig. 7, a larger spur gear 60* is fixed to the shaft 32 and the gear 57 is adjusted to connect this gear 60* to the gear 54. r

The first impression cylinder 25 is provided with a set of grippers 61 the opening and closing of which is controlled by a stationary cam 62 carried by one of the side frames 10 of the machine, the gripper operating mechanism being of well known and approved construction. The sheet feeding cylinder 29 is also provided with a set of grippers 63 the opening and closing of which is controlled by a stationary cam 64 fixed to i one of the side frames 10 of the machine, the

mechanism controlled by the cam being of any well known or approved form. The cams 62 and 64 of the sheet feeding cylinder 29 and first impression cylinder 25 are so arranged that the opening and closing of the grippers 63 and 61 are properly timed in order that the grippers 63 may be caused to engage the advance edge of the web just before the cutters operate to sever the sheet therefrom and transfer the advance edge of the sheet to the grippers 61 on the first impression cylinder, thus obviating the necessity of using tapes or friction carriers. Lobed spur gears 26, 27, may be so adjusted that the sheet feeding cylinder 29 may be driven at the speed of the web while receiving the advance edge of the web and at the speed of the first impression cylinder while transferring the sheet to said nnpression cylinder.

In operation the web is fed from a roll not shown herein and passes over the feed roll 50,

partially around the feed roll 51, over the feed roll 52 and between the feed rolls 52 and 53 to the cutters. To insure an absolutely square cut in severing the sheets from the Web as it passes through the cutters, it is imperative that the cutters while acting on the web shall havefa surface speed equal to that of the web. As the speed of the web is different for different sizes of sheets to be cut therefrom, it will be seen that the cutter driving mechanism must impart to the cutters a variable rotary motion with the minimum surface speed of the cutters equal to the speed of the web when the web is running at the proper speed for the purpose of cutting the shortest sheet therefrom and the maximum surface speed of the cutters must be equal to the speed of the web when the'longest sheets are to be cut therefrom. The adjustment of the feed of the web is accomplished by the change gear drive hereinbefore described whereby gears 60 and 60* of different sizes may be fixed to rotate with the cross shaft 32 and brought into mesh with the gear 57.

The adjustment of the speed of the cutters is accomplished as follows. It is to be understood that the cross shaft 32 makes one revolution for each sheet severed and hence its connection with the stud shaft 42 carried by the arm 43 is by equal sized gears 44, 41. When the arm 43 is adjusted in position to bring the stud shaft 42 in alinement with the shaft 37 of the cutter 33, the cutters will be rotated at a constant surface speed andhence the length of the sheet cut from-the web will necessarily be equal to the circumference of the cutters. If it is desired to retard the surface speed of the cutters to the speed of the short sheet at the time of cut, the arm 43 is adjusted upwardly, thus bringing the stud shaft 42 into a position eccentric to the axis of the cutter shaft 37. This adjustment it will be seen will cause the cutters to be driven at a greater or lesser speed during one revolution thereof according to the position which the sliding block 39 occupies in the. radially slotted arm 38 of the cutter shaft 37.

To insure the proper register of the sheet,

the grippers 63 on the sheet feeding cylinder 29 before the sheet is cut from the web. As the sheets vary in length, the distance from the feed rolls and the cnttersto the feeding cylinder 29, must be changed to suit the desired length of sheet. This can be done as has been heretofore explained, by releasing the bolts 12 and turning the worm shaft 15, thusraising and lowering the carriage 11 by means of the screws 18 and when the carriage has been adjusted to the proper position, it may be clamped in such position by tightening the bolts 12.-

As the web has a greater surface speed for a long sheet than for a short one and as the the front edge of the web must be seized byv tion of the revolution from the point where the gripper en ages the advance edge of the web until the s freet is cut from the web.

The gears 26, 27, may be provided with a sufficient amount of adjustment so that they may be set to drive the feeding cylinder 29 at the speed of the web while receiving the advance edge of the same and at the speed of the first impression cylinder while the sheet is being transferred from the feeding cylinder,

to the first impression cylinder.

It will be seen that this variable speed device permits of an absolute mechanical control of the sheet and hence the proper register of the sheet is not dependent upon tapes or friction carriers as has heretofore been necessary.

What I claim is: a

1. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising cutters, means for feeding the web thereto, a sheet feeding cylinder having a set of grippers arranged to engage the advance edge of the web after it-has through the cutters and means for (riving the sheet feeding cylinder at variable speeds during one revolution of the cylinder.

2. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising cutters, means for feeding the web thereto, 'a sheet feeding cylinder having a set of grippers arranged to engage the advance edge of the web after it has passed through the cutters but before the sheet is severed therefrom by the cutters and means for driving the sheet feeding cylinder at variable speeds during one revolution of the cylinder. i

3. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising cutters, means for feeding the web thereto, an impression cylinder having a set of grippers, a sheet feeding cylinderhaving a set of grippers arranged to en age the advance edge of the web and feed t e sheet to the imdpfession cylinder grippers and means for rivin the sheet feeding cylinder at variable spee s durin one revolution of the said sheet feeding cy inder.

4. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprislng cutters, means for feeding the web at different speeds thereto, an impression cylinder, a sheet feeding cylinder arranged to engage the web after it has passed through the cutters and means for driving the sheet feedin cylinder at variable speeds during one revol utlon of the said sheet feeding cylinder.

5. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising rotary cutters, means for feeding the web thereto at a-predetermined speed, an

ass'edadjustable variable speed device for driving the cutters at the same speed as the web at the time of cut, a sheet feeding cylinder having a set of grippers arranged to engage the advance edge of the web after it has passed through the cutters but before .the sheet is severed therefrom by the cutters and a variable speed device for driving the sheet feeding cylinder at the speed of the web from the time the web is engaged thereby until the sheet is severed from the web.

6. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising rotary cutters, means for feeding the web thereto at a predetermined speed, an adjustable variable speed device for driving the cutters at the same speed as the web at the time of cut, an impression cylinder having a set of grippers, a sheet feeding cylinder having a set of grippers arranged to engage the advance edge of the web and feed the sheet to the impression cylinder'grippers and a variable speed device for driving the sheet feeding cylinder at the speed of the web from the time the web is engaged thereby until the sheet is severed from the web and at the speed of the impression cylinder at the time the sheet is being delivered to the impression cylinder.

7. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising cutters, means for feeding the web thereto, a sheet feeding cylinder having a set of grippers arranged to engage the advance edge of the web before the sheet is severed therefrom by the cutters and means for adjusting the cutters bodily toward and away from the sheet feeding cylinder.

8. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising rotary-cutters,'web feed rolls, a change gear drive for varying the speed of the web feed rolls and thereby the speed of the web as it is fed to the cutters, an adj ustered therefrom and an adjustable variable speed device for driving the cylinder at the speed of the web from the time the web is engaged thereby until the sheet is severed from the web.

9. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising rotary cutters, web feed rolls, a change gear drive for varying the speed of the web feed rolls and thereby the speed of the web as .it is fed to the cutters, an adjustable variable speed drive for the cutters whereby the cutters are driven at the same speed as the web at the time of cut, asheet feeding cylinder arranged to receive the advance edge of the web before the sheet is severed therefrom, an adjustable variable speed device for driving the cylinder at the speed of the web from the time the web is engaged thereby until the sheet is severed from the web and means for adjusting the cutters bodily toward and away from the sheet feeding-cylinder. v

10. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising a vertically adjustable carriage, cutters mounted therein, web feed rolls mounted in-the carriage, a stationary supcpo'rting frame for the carriage and a sheet fee ing cylinder mounted in the statlonary frame arranged to engage the advance edge of ters for causing them to be driven at the speed of the web at. the time of cut, a supporting .frame for the vertically adjustable carriage and a sheet feeding cylinder mounted in said frame arranged to engage the advance edge of the Web before the sheet is severed therefrom and a variable speed device for driving the sheet feeding cylinder at the speed of the webfrom. the time the cylinder engages the Web until the sheet is severed therefrom.

12. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising a vertically adjustable carriage, rotary cutters IIIOIflltGdthBI'BlIl, web feed rolls mounted in the carriage, a change gear device for causing the web feed rolls to feed the web at different speeds to the cutters, an adjustable variable speed drive for the cutters whereby the cutters are driven at the samespeed as the web at the tirneof cut, a supporting frame for the vertically adjustable carriage, a sheet feeding cylinder arranged .to engage the advance edge of the web before the sheet is severed therefrom and an adjustable variable speed device for driving the sheet feeding cylinder whereby the cylinderis driven at the same speed as the web from the time it engages the web until the sheet is severed therefrom.

13. Asheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising means for feeding the web at different speeds, rotary cutters, an adjustable variable speed device for driving the cutters at the speed of the web at the time of cut, a sheet feeding cylinder arranged to engage the advance edge of the web for feeding the sheet to a predetermined point and a variable speed device for driving the sheet feeding cylinder at the speed of the web from the time the cylinder engages the web until the sheet is severed therefrom.

I -'14. A sheet "cutting and feeding mechanism comprising means for feeding the web at different speeds, rotary cytters, a sheet feeding cylinder arranged to engage the web after it has passed through the cutters and a vari- 65 able speed device for driving the sheet feeding cylinder at the speed of the web at the time the cylinder engages the web;

15. A sheet cutting and feeding, mechanism comprising means for feeding the web at different speeds, rotary cutters, an impression cylinder having a set of grippers, a sheet feeding cylinder having a set of grippers arranged to feed the sheet from the cutters to the impression cylinder grippers and a variable s eed device for driving the sheet feeding cy inder at the speed of the web at the time the sheet feeding cylinder engages the web.

16. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising means for feeding the web at different s eeds, rotary cutters, an adjustable variable speed device for driving the cutters at the speed of the web at the time of --cut, an impression cylinder having a set of grippers,' a sheet feeding cylinder having a set of grippers arranged to engage the advance edge of the web and feed the sheet to the impression cylinder grippers and a variable speed device for driving the sheet feeding cylinder at the speed of the web from the time the cylinder engages the web until the sheet is severed therefrom.

different speeds, rotary cutters, an impression cylinder having a set of grippers, a sheet feeding cylinder having a set of grippers arranged to feed the sheet to the im )ression cylinder grip ers and a variable spee( device for driving t 1e sheet feeding cylinder at the speed of the web at the time the sheet feeding cylinder engages the web and at the speed of the impression cylinder at the time the sheet is being delivered to the impression cylinder. 1

18. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising means for feeding the web at different s eeds, rotary cutters, an adjustable varia 1e speed device for driving the cutters at the speed of the web at the time of cut, an impression cylinder having a set of grippers and driven at a constant speed, a sheet feeding cylinder having a set of grippers arranged to engage the advance edge of the web and feed the sheet to'the impression cylinder grip ers and a variable speed device for driving t e sheet feeding cylinder at the speed of the web from the time the cylinder engages the web until the sheet is severed therefrom and to drive the sheet feeding cylinder at the speed of the impression c 'linder at the time the sheet is being delivere to the impression cylinder.

19. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising means for feeding the web at different s ceds, rotary cutters, an adjust able varia le speed device for driving the cutters at the speed of the web at the time of cut, an impression cylinder having a set of grippers and driven at a constant speed, a

17. A sheet cutting and feeding meehanism comprising means for feeding the web at sheet feeding cylinder having a set of grippers arranged to engage the advance edge of the web and a variable speed gear connection between the impression cylinder and sheet feeding cylinder whereby the sheet feeding cylinder is driven at the s eed of the web from the time the sheet fee ing cylinder engages the web until the sheet is severed therefrom and is driven atthe speed of the impression cylinder at the time the sheet is transferred thereto.

20. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising a supporting frame, a verti cally ad uStabIe carriage mounted therein, rotary cutters, web feed rolls mounted in the carriage and a sheet feeding cylinder mounted in the frame. v

21. A sheet cutting and feeding mechanism comprising a supporting frame, a car.- riage mounted in the frame, means for adjusting the carriage vertically comprising vertical screws engaging the carriage and a cross shaft having a worm and gear connection with said screws, rotary cutters, and web feed rolls mounted in the carriage and a sheet feeding cylinder mounted in the supporting frame.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name in presence of two witnesses, this seventh day of February, ,1906.

HOWARD M. BARBER. 

